THE TREASURE OF SIERRA MADRE
(not rated)
MOVIE: **** (out of 5)
BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: **** (out of 5)
BY KEVIN CARR
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
After John Huston made Humphrey Bogart a star in “The Maltese Falcon,” they teamed up again for “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.” In this film, Bogart plays a drifter who teams up with another drifter and an old prospector to find gold in the hills of Mexico. Things are going great as they amass a small fortune, but soon bandits, paranoia and personal greed threaten their new wealth.
WHAT I LIKED
“The Treasure of the Sierra Madre” was released along with “The Maltese Falcon” on Blu-ray to celebrate Bogart and Huston’s best collaborations. And while I dearly love the film noir genre, I think I enjoyed “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre” better.
Both films deal with the corruption of greed and how we can be our own worst enemies when it comes to dealing with new wealth. The theme is very clear that money corrupts, and you can only be truly happy if you can say good-bye to all of it if need be.
Bogart turns in a fantastic performance in this film, playing possibly even a darker character than the gray character of Sam Spade in “The Maltese Falcon.” He exhibits a brilliant level of nuance as he changes from a bum down on his luck to a man filled with paranoia and lust for money.
Serving as an unconventional western and a serious drama, “The Treasure of Sierra Madre” is a very special film that doesn’t come along very often. And getting a new release on Blu-ray makes it look great, even with the grainier film stock than we have today.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
Not a whole lot. This film is a unique gem.
BLU-RAY FEATURES
Like “The Maltese Falcon,” this Blu-ray comes with a commentary by Bogart biographer Eric Lax and a radio show adaptation with the original film stars. Additional features include the documentary “Discovering Treasure: The Story of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre” and a long-form profile of John Huston as a director.
This disc also is presented with Warner Night at the Movies, featuring an introduction by Leonard Maltin, a newsreel, two cartoons (including “8 Ball Bunny,” in which Bogey makes a cameo as his character from “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre”), a comedy short and a slate of theatrical trailers.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Bogey fans and anyone working their way through the AFI 100 Films list.